Diestel Family Ranch's Pasture-Raised Whole Turkey has won Good Housekeeping's 2021 Sustainable Innovation Awards in the smarter, healthier food and kitchen category. A key part of the fourth-generation family farm's regenerative agricultural practices, these birds are raised with the freedom to forage on Diestel's holistic farm and feature tender, juicy, full-bodied flavor.
"We believe that it's not enough to protect the earth, we have to restore it," shared Heidi Diestel, fourth-generation turkey farmer at the Diestel Family Ranch. "Our goal is ecological stability on our farms, and it means so much to us that the judges at Good Housekeeping appreciate our efforts to reduce waste, reclaim water and help to rebuild topsoil that has been lost over the last 70 years in the United States."
Every element of the Diestel operation is thoughtfully constructed with sustainability and conservation in mind. The farmers at Diestel Family Ranch clean their equipment with probiotics (not chemicals) certified by the Green Clean Institute to create a healthy microbial environment, and reclaim over 90% of the water used on their home ranch. The Diestel family also stewards a robust composting system, which has been shown to cut water usage between 25% and 40%, depending on soil type, and is estimated to conserve approximately 226.2 million gallons of water per year. This nutrient-dense compost is 5-8 times more valuable than commodity compost and creates a healthy and diverse environment for microbiology to thrive. In addition to benefiting topsoil growth, reducing soil erosion and encouraging organic production without the use of artificial fertilizers or chemicals, Diestel's compost raises the value of the farm's raw manure, diverts truckloads of turkey feathers from landfills and supports healthy forest initiatives that help reduce fire hazards in California.
Diestel Family Ranch will be announced as a winner in the November issue of Good Housekeeping and is currently featured on GoodHousekeeping.com.
